Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-08-24


Boats-story of the Survivors.
LONDON, Aug. 19.-News was received
here to-day of the destruction at sea by
fire of the steamer City of Montreal and
the loss of thirteen lives. The informa-
ton is brought by the British steamer
York City, which left Baltimore for Lon
don Oh August 4, arriving at Queenstown
to-day.
The Inman Line steamer City Of Mon
treal left New York on August 6, for
Liverpool. She was commanded by
Capt. Laud, an old and experienced
navigator, and carried APO passengers,
beside the usual complement of officers
and crew. The destruction of the
steamer occurred on the morning of the
18th inst, five days after she left New
York. A boat containing six passen-
gers and seven members of the
crew is missing and the occupants Of
this boat are reported to have persisted.
All the others on board were picked up
by the York City and brought to
Queenstown. The passengers and crew
of the burned steamer were taken off
the York City Immediately after her ar
rival by the tug Mount Etna and landed
at Queenstown. All were accounted for
except the thirteen persons in the miss
ing boat.
1t is learned from persons on board
that shorty after the passengers had
gone to bed on the night of the 10th, the
ship being in latitude 43 north at the
time, they were aroused by an alarm Of
fire. A scene of CONSERVATION ensued
and the passengers were greatly terri
fed when they found out the true state
of affairs. The smoke caused by the
fire was suffocating. The passengers
dressed and got on deck as quickly as
possible and with but little appearance
of panic.
The fire originated in the cotton
stored in the afterhold. Nine streams
of water were soon working on the
flames and the course of the vessel was
shaped toward Newfoundland, 400 miles
distant. The flames spread with great
rapiditv and soon had burst out with
terrific force through the midway and
after matches, the heat being intense.
1t becoming evident that it was impossi
bic to save the ship, momentary panic
ensued.
The boats were eight in number and
consisted of four life-boats and Jour
pinnaces. These were launched and
stocked with provisions. The flames
spread with great fierceness and the eff
forts to quench them were soon found
futile. At o'clock in the morning the
passengers were marshaled on deck
preparatory to entering the boats.
Many of them were weeping, but
on the whole they were quiet and or
DERBY. The family groups presented a
sight pitiful to see as they huddled to-
gether in fear and trembling. There
was heavy sea running and it was with
great difficulty that the boats were kept
from being smashed. The crew worked
splendidly, and all the passengers we're
placed in the boats in a comparatively
short time. How the boats foated
with their heavy loads is mir
acle. AS the last boat was
putting off from ike ship several Of the
passengers and crew were seen aft.
They had been overlooked, and were
screaming to the boats to return. They
were subsequently bravelv rescued, half
dead from the effects of the smoke and
heat. The masts of ship were seen on
the horizon, but ten hours elapsed be-
fore 1t came near.
The boats soon scattered and one entire
ly vanished. This contained two stew
ards, two seamen and seven passengers,
anu lISIG 10 UuU iiIJIc uOUDL
that the whole boat-load pei
ished. The boat did not contain a
full crew and left the City of Montreal
against the captains orders, as there
was time to take many more in it. The
other survivors consider the fate of the
occupants of the lost boat as Judgment
for their cowardice.
The names of those in the missing boat
are: Samuel Kaufman, George Arnold
and Samuel Mckee, intermediate pas
sengers; and Kenard Woolton, Stephen
Upper, Simon Rowteley and S.
Kacheingka, crew; Henry Frazer, Chas
Reade, William Franney, Patrick
Hughes, trimmer; Charles Smith, inter
prefer, and Thomas Wilberforce, stew
ard.
The bark sighted shortly after the
boats left the steamer was pre-
pairing to pick up the survivors when
the steamer York City attracted by the
flames of the burning vessel, which were
shooting up hundred feet in the air,
bore down and with difficulty took all
hands on board. The rescued
people were treated with the utmost
kindness by the captain and crew of the
York City and the passengers speak
with much feeling of the consideration
which was accorded to them. The York
City proceeded to London after landing
the City of MontreaPs passengers and
crew at Queenstown. The survivors are
unanimous in declaring that the officers
of the City of Montreal did their duty